Portland Bridal Show

In the Portland area today, we had our annual Portland Bridal Show. It is a very big deal here. My parents own a large wedding photography business and so this weekend is the launch of the new wedding season. I worked the booth with my dad today, handing out brochures, CD's, talking till I just about lost my voice. I am so exhausted! Wiped out! It was so nice to see my dad at the show though. You know, we came so close to losing him this summer and they didn't give him longer than 3 - 6 months to live and the end of the rainbow was one year. Well, we are approaching one year in a few months and he is still kickin'! He looked good today, strong and he was in a zone! It gave me great joy to watch him do what he loves most and the fact that he is still here and still loving it is everything. We took a picture of him at the booth but the only camera we could find was one of those disposable ones (LOL - we are professional photographers using disposables!), so when we get it back I will put his picture up.

Scrapdango is up to something! We will begin offering a monthly project kit which will include altering and other paper crafting projects. This month our Widget Club product is the NEW and totally fun Acrylic Albums and I know...they look intimidating, don't they? Not sure if you can figure out how you are supposed to put one of these together, right? Well...you can! Soak this up! Here is a peek at the featured "Alter It!" project this month using the Scrapdango January Sugar kit, the featured Widget Club product Pageframe Designs Acrylic 6x6 frame and the Sugar Kit Add-On pack!

This "Love is in the Air" Acrylic Album is just in time for sweethearts day and if you are not sure that you can do it, we will be completing this project together at the Scrapdango Forum before Valentines Day! Here is a peek at the inside!

Blog Challenge

My new friend, Suzanne, at the Scrapdango Forum has challenged me! She is running a blog challenge and I will do my best to keep up with her:)

My favorite wall hanging in my home is this sweet lil' cow picture. I love, love, love cows! I have them everywhere! I don't exactly know why, but somehow they make me feel happy when I see my cow collections. For many years, that's what I got for Christmas and Birthdays...cow gifts because it was a sure thing I would like it. I collected such a collection that I needed another home to display and house all my cow paraphernalia.

I had to make a very hard decision when it was time in my life to downsize. I donated and gifted lots and lots of cows. I only kept a couple of my favorite moo moo's and this is one. I have no idea where I got it, sometime around 1995, but it is my favorite and it has lasted through three relationships, two kids, four moves and she's still with me.

Happy New Year!

Wishing you all a wonderful and joyous new year! Scrapdango turns two years old in February. This is an exciting time for us! We will send out our 24th kit this month! Wow! What a ride it has been. I am so thankful to have this opportunity to work in the wonderful world of scrapbooking. I had no idea when I started this venture whether it would be successful, whether I could transfer my business skills to a new industry, whether I could find my way in a very competitive market. I started Scrapdango on a shoestring budget and there were times when money was so tight, I wondered if I would have to throw in the towel. Yet, I hung in there because I believed I had the right idea - bring the scrapbooking community the finest coordinated products and assure our kits are functional and motivational and are what real scrapbookers need and use. I want our customers to feel like it is Christmas every month of the year! The scrapbooking community is beginning to recognize Scrapdango and now that we are preparing to pass our 2 year mark, it is apparent that we are here to stay. Simple Scrapbooks Magazine featured Scrapdango in Dec/Jan issue that just came out. You can see that in the Club section of the magazine. I want to thank all those who have contributed to Scrapdango's success. First off, I want to thank Dana DiGennaro. When she came on as a designer last year, she quickly took on a greater role and showed her interest and skill in kit designing. She is on top of the market and knows what hot and what's not. I couldn't have done it without her. I also want to thank our whole amazing Design Team and those designers that contributed last year also. I have had such an incredible opportunity to work with some talented artists who are inspiring! I want to thank Terri Bradbury for her Admin support on our new Forum over the last several months. That would be an unrealized dream without her! And thankyou to all our Scrapdango members and supporters!

We have some very special kits planned in celebration of our anniversary. Here are the Sugar and Spice Kits for January...

Featuring none other than Cosmo Cricket - Hey Sugar!

Featuring the hard to find Sonburn - Urban School Daze!

Our Design Team has done an incredible job with these kits. I was so motivated by them I even got some scrapping done. Please check out our Designs at Scrapdango Design Gallery.

"you did what?"

Well it didn't take him long after turning 18 to get a tattoo. Within days of turning 18, Scotty got a memorial tattoo of his father who died when he was 6 months old. It was a text message..."Mom, can I come over and show you my tattoo?" I knew he was going to do it and I knew it would be soon. I just thought he might wait a bit longer. He knew what he wanted many, many years ago. He drew a drawing of the tattoo he would have one day when he was about 12 years old. He wanted a memorial tattoo in honor of his father. He never knew his father and since he died when Scotty was only 6 months old, he has felt a huge loss throughout his life. I am not a big fan of tattoo's and especially big ones that cover large areas of the body. But, this one has meaning for Scotty and now he can feel like he has his father with him always.

Visit to see Santa

I took Jovanna to see Santa today at our LSS. She wouldn't sit on his lap, she was too shy to do that. But she did tell him a few things she wants for Christmas and Santa said "Put that on the list!"

Sketching

I am interested in learning how to create my own sketches. It seems that people use many different programs to create sketches and there are soooo many people out there doing sketches that you'd think you would be able to find some tutorials, but no! I couldn't find a single tutorial. I know how to use PS to edit and enhance images but I haven't a clue how to create a scrapbook sketch from scratch using PS. Scrapdango is working on a tutorial that I hope will be ready after the holidays to help others who want to learn how to create their own sketches. So, I gave it a try and it was rough! Here is my first attempt at sketching using PS and the layout that it is based on.